BC MSP Combined account - Spouse, resulted in $1200 extra payment

[claudiakee]

My husband and I had been married since May 2011 and I became a PR in June 2013. During these times, when I was waiting to become a PR. I was staying in Canada as International students and have been paying my dues to MSP.

Earlier this year, I combined my husbands MSP account to my account since we discovered that paying for two people at one time is cheaper than paying on our own accounts separately. So I was told by MSP agents that we could also request a retrofit on our account balance by asking them to back date it as much as possible.

However, after sending the information (our wedding certificate). we were being told to paid close to $1200 for periods between 2011 - 2013. I was completely shocked since I have been paying my MSP fee and my husband should of been within the low income bracket for premium assistance for those periods. My husband sent in his notice of assessments and premium assistance forms for those years to prove that we should not be asked to pay for that amount and been waiting 2 months without any updates on our account balance.

So i called MSP today and I was being told by MSP that because I was not a PR between 2011- 2013 , we are not qualified for premium assistance during that period. I found this to be totally surprising and couldn't comprehend that how could MSP charge me again on periods that I have already paid for my own accounts. On top of that, altered the right to my husband's qualification to premium assistance just because he married a non-PR at that time?

Has anybody be involved with similar situations with the MSP? I would really appreciate someone who has the knowledge about MSP coverage rules to tell us about how to deal with this frustrating situation.

I sure would not want to pay an extra 1200 and after numerous calls to MSP, i realize that they just constantly transferring my calls between billing and premium assistance department and never actually dealt with my questions.

Thank you for reading my story and my most sincere gratitude to any comments below.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

So i called MSP today and I was being told by MSP that because I was not a PR between 2011- 2013 , we are not qualified for premium assistance during that period. I found this to be totally surprising and couldn't comprehend that how could MSP charge me again on periods that I have already paid for my own accounts. On top of that, altered the right to my husband's qualification to premium assistance just because he married a non-PR at that time?

Has anybody be involved with similar situations with the MSP? I would really appreciate someone who has the knowledge about MSP coverage rules to tell us about how to deal with this frustrating situation.

I sure would not want to pay an extra 1200 and after numerous calls to MSP, i realize that they just constantly transferring my calls between billing and premium assistance department and never actually dealt with my questions.

They are not charging you again; they are clawing back what they say your husband should have paid them.

One spouse cannot be granted Premium Assistance while the other spouse pays premiums as normal; it is one application and MSP looks at both people to make the decision. Basically, you told MSP to combine your accounts during that time and evaluate your premiums as a couple. Because assistance is only available to Canadian citizens/PRs, you, and therefore your husband, didn't qualify for assistance.

Also, if your husband was married to you while claiming Premium Assistance, he was required to disclose your income as well, regardless of your status in Canada. If your combined income was above the threshold, then he didn't qualify for assistance.